Dive Log Australasia Editor and underwater photographer Mike Scotland will be focusing on marine biology ‘in the wild' on the Photo Stage at the inaugural GO Diving Show ANZ in September.
Mike started diving in 1976 and successfully gained his PADI instructor rating in 1982. As well as teaching more than 1,000 divers. Mike has done 7,000 dives and won awards for his U/W photos.
His two main passions are underwater photography and marine biology. He writes about the celebration of marine life combined with adventure diving. Mike published his book, Marine Biology in the Wild as a service to divers who want to learn more about the sea. It features postcard standard photos with in-depth research. Currently, he is writing a series on the biology of fish and sharks, which he will include in a new book next year.
His topic on the Photo Stage will be:
Marine Biology in the Wild
The best way to ignite your passion for diving is to learn more about the wonderful marine life we encounter. During his stint on the Photo Stage, Mike will reveal many incredible insights he has observed over 48 years of active diving that will motivate you to dive.
Mike is a professional educator and one of Australia's most-published U/W photographers. This talk will be supported by his most excellent photos gathered from more than 100 expeditions to the Great Barrier Reef and the Pacific.
His talk will feature six stories that each go for five minutes.
Mike also explains why octopus are the weirdest animal in the universe – learn why the imagination of Mother Nature as seen in octopus cannot be bested in any other galaxy.
Each five-minute talk will be a short story outlining challenges they face to survive, and ways that they overcome the dangers in the sea.
The GO Diving Show ANZ
This annual event, taking place this year on 28-29 September at the Sydney Showground at the Olympic Park, is aimed at showcasing the very best of our underwater world to everyone from raw novices who are either contemplating getting into diving, or have completed their entry-level courses, to advanced divers, right through to technical divers and veteran CCR divers.
There are an array of stages – the Main Stage, the Photo Stage, the Australia/New Zealand Stage, the Inspiration Stage and the Tech Stage – that will play host to dozens of speakers from around the world, as well as a host of interactive features to suit young and old, from VR diving experiences, trydives, a demonstration pool, mermaids, and much more.
Surrounding the stages and features will be a broad range of exhibitors, from tourist boards and tour operators to resorts, liveaboards, training agencies, retailers, manufacturers, and conservation organisations.
The 2024 GO Diving Show UK, now in its fifth year, attracted more than 10,000 attendees over the weekend, and spanned an area of 10,000 sq m of exhibition space, and the Australia and New Zealand variant aspires to reaching this level in coming years.
Entry to the inaugural GO Diving Show ANZ is completely free – register here to get your tickets for what is undoubtedly the diving event of 2024 in Australia. There is plenty of parking on-site and the venue is easy to get to with plenty of transport options, so get the dates in your diary now and prepare for an epic weekend celebrating all forms of diving.